NCL announced that construction has started on 2 new "F3" ships, which will be named later. The first is expected to be delivered in 2010.

These ships will hold 4200 passengers, about 1800 more than the new Norwegian Gem. There will be lots of space for things like bowling alleys. Details of what we can expect onboard these ships is not being revealed yet.

Originally posted by Berick1234:
How big is TOO big???
Trouble with docking stations I would think and more tendering....but...I will book on them:-)
Happy Cruising,Bob E

There are ships plying the seven seas that are as large, or larger. Most of the additional tonnage is caused by the ships wider berth, not by added length. Docks sizes aren't the problem, it's the limited size of the islands and the increase numbers of passengers aboard these huge ships causing over crowding near the piers.

Bigger isn't always better, but I understand the cruise lines wanting to get more passengers on board. I personally enjoy ships under 2000 pax, it just seems easier to get on/off. I do enjoy the glamor of the new ships, but like the intimacy of the smaller ones.

All that money NCL is using to create the two "F3" Class Ships could have been used to restore the SS United States as well as the SS Norway(back to its SS France configuation) as floating hotels. The Big U in NYC and the SS France in La Havre next to its original port terminal.

Actually, the waste of money would be if they spent it on the SS Norway and SS United States for a memorial.

A new or old cruise ship only makes money operating. The SS Norway sailed with 2,000 passengers every week, each spending easily over $500 per person. That's a weekly gross income of at least $1 million per week. As a memorial, to generate that much gross income at $10 per person, they would have to sell 100,000 tickets per week. At $100 per peson, which would probably elimate most visitors as the price would be too high, they would have to sell 10,000 tickets per week.

Of course, an operating ship has far more expenses, fuel, port fees, and crew payrolls. But insurance premiums, financing the loan, paying taxes, and paying port fees, alongside a dock 24 hours/ 7 days a week, will still be there for a stationary ship.

The cruise lines have been very sucessful selling out their ships on a weekly basis. I'm not so sure memorial ships/hotels have been.
I don't believe many will wish to spend a small fortune booking a very small cabin aboard either the SS Norway or SS US on the waterfront, in an industrial area, when there's the Plaza available with much larger rooms located next to Central Park.

The new F3 class passenger capacity is listed at 4200 pasengers. 4200 x $500 = $2.1 Million gross income each week, as a minimum. I can't see how a stationary, old, classic ship can generate that much income, unless it's turned into a casino barge.

Either fix the ships to be cruise ships, sailing the seven seas to exotic ports, or scrap them.

Agreed with you, Ron Clark. The Norway was my home for about a year, but it wouldn't comfort me at all to see her laid up in some city as a hotel, casino or its likes! Then it's better to scrap her and cherish the memories of all the good times onboard

Sandy, thank you for the information. I look forward to hearing more about this new project as it becomes available.

There are two things that concern me about the very large ships we are starting to see. First is getting off the ship, either in port or -- heaven forbid -- an emergency. Second, while "concern" might be too strong a word here, I am somewhat sad for pax who will never visit some of the beautiful places these ships cannot go, such as the Town Cut in Bermuda (and, as of now, St. George's itself).

Yet, as we've seen on other lines (I'm thinking primarily Royal Caribbean), this is apparently what people want. I admit to not being one of those people, though. So, thankfully, there are other ships in the NCL fleet and other lines that will accommodate the rest of us. Remember, old is not obsolete.